We note that this picture captures a fleeting moment, and without additional photographs (or video) of the event, it's impossible to say whether Ivanka was sitting on her father's lap for a prolonged period of time or for just a few seconds (or whether, despite the captioning, she was actually on his lap at all).

While late-night comedians have frequently mocked Trump for having an improper relationship with his daughter, those accusations are all based on speculation rather than solid evidence.

There is female privilege in our culture. Mothers are free to show affection to our children without worrying that our antagonists will sexualize it.

40 comments:

"There is female privilege in our culture. Mothers are free to show affection to our children without worrying that our antagonists will sexualize it." Sure, but not relevant to this instance. It's a case of progressive privilege: Trump gets attacked, Bill gets a pass.

My daughter is 23 and will still climb in my lap on occasion. Well, partially climb since she's several inches taller than me. My niece, who is a foot shorter than my girl, will sit in her dad's lap.Never thought that picture of Trump and Ivanka was nothing more than parent/child affection. He appears to actually like his kids and doesn't use them or the grandkids as political props unlike someone else.

Now Bill? I'm thinking he was the better parent. At least in the sense of actual affection for Chelsea before she was molded into another grifter. Are there any pictures of Chelsea being loved on as a kid?

Let me see if I have this right. Hillary's husband continues to get a free pass for inappropriate sexual activities from 19 years ago (let Bill be Bill!), but it's a scandal that Donald Trump had his teenaged daughter on his lap 19 years ago.

You can fairly complain that Donald Trump can dish it out, but you cannot also say that he doesn't know how to take it. The criticism of Bushitler seems measured and reserved compared to the absolute frenzied froth of sputum currently emanating from Trump's critics.......Although it is unfair and sexist to speculate on Hillary's health, it is necessary to inform the American public of Trump's creepy, barely repressed designs on his daughter.

I can't link it from here, but there's a great YouTube clip from "Crazy Ex Girlfriend" where her boss does a song called "I love my daughter, but not in a creepy way".

There is a double standard. True, if a woman crosses a certain line with her son (kiss on the mouth, for instance) it'll get called out, but for men and their daughters that line is a lot closer. Society has conditioned us to see men as predators, and the left is okay with this. Look at the ridicule they heap on you if you try to say "not ALL men..."

A real stretch. The Dems are definitely into desperate territory. "You want to talk about sex, let's talk about Bill Clinton's adjudicated escapades!" Dangerous territory with someone like Trump on the other side.

While late-night comedians have frequently mocked Trump for having an improper relationship with his daughter, those accusations are all based on speculation rather than solid evidence.

Am I being overly sensitive, or is Snopes being sly/a bit overly clever here? No "solid" evidence? Isn't it more accurate to say there is no evidence at all of Trump having "an improper relationship with his daughter?"

My 15 year old daughter has no qualms about climbing into my lap. And if someone ever tried to say we had an inappropriate relationship to my face I'd punch them.

It makes me angry how we have sexualized everything to the point we aren't supposed to show our children physical affection anymore. I guess I should be happy I have three sons and am still able to hug and hold them without people going all creepy on me.

Not just moms. All women and girls have privilege that men and boys don't.

I'm on a local Facebook group where someone said that they came home to find their babysitter's boyfriend with the babysitter. Most of the comments were implying that the boy was interested in the KIDS in the home. Times have really changed. My son loves teaching Sunday School and working with little kids. I've had to caution him about being alone with the kids. No teenage girl has to worry about that.

eric said..."My 15 year old daughter has no qualms about climbing into my lap. And if someone ever tried to say we had an inappropriate relationship to my face I'd punch them.

It makes me angry how we have sexualized everything to the point we aren't supposed to show our children physical affection anymore. I guess I should be happy I have three sons and am still able to hug and hold them without people going all creepy on me."

Completely agree. It's disgusting how they've sexualized everything.

And I never gave it a second thought when I'd climb on my Dad's lap, even as a young adult. And I would have punched anyone that said anything against my Dad.

Same with how/where Trump puts his arms on his daughter's waist area--exactly what my Dad would do. It's not "ass-grabbing"--in fact it's a neutral area, and is actually very similar to when a Dad picks up his child (same grasp area) and holds them in the air to talk and play with them--you are close, yet you can see your child, and the child you. Direct hugging (which is what I guess people wanted to see at the convention) does not allow the facial emotions to show--and he wanted her to see the love, pride and joy in his face after her speech.

As the comment section of your next post has been blocked for pornography, I will comment here that "The Incestuous Pedophile America Needs to Make It Great Again" will not be appearing soon as an op-ed headline in The New York Times.

Trump has somehow been able to turn his enemies' attacks on him, into something worse than anything he's ever said. The Rosie O'Donnell moment at the first Fox News debate was funny. it was witty. That's why he got away with it.

This stuff is sick. It's not going to help Hillary. The biggest mistake they can make is turn Trump and his supporters into victims of hateful liberal aggression. It's fueled by arrogance.

Somehow, not that Trump is playing out Scott Adams' predicted third act, he's going to start looking quite calm and reasonable. The basket of deplorables was a huge mistake that I'm sure the Clinton Campaign wishes it could take back.

And they can't. Because now you have the Clinton friendly media (in today's Washington post, and everyday on Morning Joe) trying to prove that she was right; Trump supporters are deplorable and irredeemable. It seems so stupid.

What's gross is the other guy in the photo leering at Ivanka. And I do think the comments that Trump has made about her were inappropriate, not because I think he lusted after her but because he seemed to get ego gratification from the idea that other men did. Fathers should be protective of their adolescent daughters, and help them understand the power that their developing sexuality can have (power which they aren't yet ready to wield.)